Hello, Dolly!
by Lipton Lee
Summary: Sequel to RRoMC: The morning after... Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller, and Hellooooo Dolly! Lit, and JJ, Narcos and Dean lovers need not open file.
1. Default Chapter

* * *

Picks up the morning after Raining Recipes on My Coat. My take on Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller. 

Disclaimer: They ain't mine. Don't sue.

For Everyone who left me heaps of Feedback on RRoMC. Especially Ali... because the banner for rromc? Yeah. Rulefest.

**Hello, Dolly! Chapter 1 **

Rory smiled sleepily, and ran the back of her hand down Jess's cheek.

"The sun better be setting," Jess murmured.

She smiled. It was cute to hear him talk in his sleep.

"Not kidding, Rory," he grumbled, burrowing deeper under the covers. "I'm not waking up until the sun goes down."

She snickered. "You don't want breakfast?"

He gave her a grunt and turned over.

She smiled and kissed the back of his neck. "Jess..."

He gave another grunt.

"Get up."

"What time is it?"

"Nine," Rory replied.

He squinted at her. "You want me to get out of bed at nine."

She nodded.

"In the morning."

She gave another nod.

He shook his head and covered it with a pillow.

"Get up or I'm gonna start jumping on the bed."

He peaked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Really? Naked and everything?"

She blushed, took her pillow, and smacked him.

"Ow," he moaned loudly.

She shushed him with a giggle. "Keep it down. Taylor is probably awake by now."

Jess sat up with a smirk, and slammed his shoulder into the wall making the pictures that adorned it shake. He moaned even louder than before.

"JESS!"

"Rory!" He threw himself at her, pinning her to the bed.

She laughed loudly and batted at him playfully.

* * *

"You and Luke?" 

Lorelai sighed as she watched Sookie rush around the kitchen, preparing breakfast.

"You and Luke?!"

"Sookie!" Lorelai hissed.

"I'm sorry," Sookie replied excitedly. "It's just... so great! You and Luke. You and Luke! Did you guys..." she motioned from one side to the other in a suggestive way.

"No!" Lorelai cried. "We haven't even been on one date!"

"So?" Sookie asked. "It happens quick for some people!"

"Tell me about it," Lorelai muttered. "Rory can't keep her hands off of Jess."

Sookie's eyes widened. "That was them making all that noise? I thought it was Kirk and Lulu!"

"I wish," Lorelai replied. "No, that was Jess and Rory."

"Lorelai!"

She rolled her eyes. "Taylor alert."

Sookie nodded at her as she walked out into the dining room.

"Yes, Tailor?"

"I demand a room change," he snapped.

Lorelai blinked. "Why?"

"Rory and Jess keep making a ton of racket!" Taylor complained. "I was assured a nice, relaxing, quiet weekend, and so far, you have not followed through on that!"

"Oh, Taylor, I'm so sorry," Lorelai replied sincerely. "I will have a talk with Rory and tell her to keep the noise down."

Taylor snorted rather loudly, and stormed off.

Lorelai sighed.

"Taylor giving you a hard time?"

She whirled around quickly, and smacked right banister.

Luke rushed over to steady her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine. And yes, Taylor was giving me a hard time... but it's better than him beating down Rory and Jess's door, and Jess answering it in the buff."

Luke smirked. "That might actually be kinda funny."

Lorelai glared a little.

"...If this wasn't your trial weekend."

"Thank you," she nodded.

"So... you got up pretty early," Luke commented.

"Yeah, I had to get things moving for the morning," Lorelai smiled. "I... I have a business to run."

He nodded. "And a good one it is."

Her smiled widened. "What are you up to?"

"I've gotta head out," he told her. "I have my own business to run."

Lorelai nodded. "Right... right..."

They stood in silence.

"So..." Luke cleared his throat. "I will... see you later."

"You will," Lorelai nodded.

More silence.

He leaned forward quickly, and placed a soft, fast kiss on her lips, which caught her off guard completely.

He smiled as he began to walk out. "Tell Jess that I want his ass home sooner rather than later."

She nodded, and watched him go. "Will-do..."

Patty watched all of this from the stairs with a huge grin on her face. "Good morning, Lorelai."

Lorelai whirled around, and smacked into the banister again. "Patty! Good morning! Did you sleep well?"

Patty nodded as she descended the stairs. "Like a baby... Luke had to go so soon?"

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "He had to get to work."

"Mm," Patty nodded. "Too bad... He looks like he's been working out." She grinned again, and made her way into the dining room for breakfast.

Lorelai shook her head. "The whole town is going to know in two seconds... tops."

* * *

Patty beamed at Rory as she walked into the dining room. "Rory, sweetie, come sit with us!" 

Rory smiled and took a seat around the small table.

"Where's Jess?" Babbette asked.

"He's still sleeping," Rory replied, a blush creeping up on her.

Patty grinned. "You wore him out. Good girl."

Jackson blinked, as he bounced Davie over his shoulder. "Wore him out from what?"

Babbette and Patty stared at him and his eyes widened.

"Oh!" He turned to Rory. "You and Jess?!"

Rory stared down at her lap. "I was hoping to avoid bringing it up."

Babbette gave her a sympathetic look. "That bad, huh?"

"No!" Rory yelped, looking up at them. "No, it's just... private..."

"Honey, this is Stars Hollow," Patty chuckled. "Nothing is ever private."

Rory sighed. With Lorelai busy making sure things ran smoothly and Jess still in bed, she found herself without backup.

Patty smiled. "So, are you and Jess back together, or was this a one night stand?"

Rory blushed again. Might as well tell them. "He's moving back... at least for the summer."

Babbette sighed heavily. "I'm gonna have to put the gnomes away again."

"He doesn't do that anymore," Rory defended.

"Do what anymore?" a scratchy voice asked from behind the table.

Patty smiled as Jess walked over.

Rory frowned as he got closer. "You're bruised up. I didn't notice when I woke up..."

Jess shrugged.

"The quiet ones are always the violent ones in the sack," Jackson muttered to the two other women.

Jess rolled his eyes. "It's from getting slugged in the face last night," he muttered.

"Sit, Jess," Patty invited. "You must be starving."

"Actually, I was gonna go help Luke..."

Rory gave him a helpless look.

He sighed and pulled up a chair next to her. "If Luke call my phone to yell at me..."

"I take total responsibility," Rory nodded.

Patty grinned at them. "I forgot how cute the two of you could be."

Rory smirked and wrapped an arm around Jess. "When he's not being grouchy."

Jess sighed, as Sookie rushed out and set two plates down in front of them. "Morning, Jess. Hey, Popcorn!"

Rory smiled. "Hey, Sookie."

Jess muttered a "thank you" and dug into his plate of food.

Babbette watched with wide eyes. "So Jess, Doll... we hear you're moving back..."

Jess nodded and swallowed a mouthful of eggs. "I am."

Patty smiled. "That must be very exciting. We hear your apartment in New York isn't the best place in the world."

He shrugged, not meeting any of their eyes. "It's fine."

Rory bit her lip and then took a bite of her food, her eyes never leaving Jess. He looked about ready to run. "Jess wants to go back to school."

"Oh, Jess, honey, that's wonderful," Babbette said sincerely.

"It is," Patty agreed. "You're such a smart boy. It's so good that you're getting back on your feet. It must have been awful last year when your father just showed up like that."

Rory blinked at Patty and then looked to Jess, a little annoyed. "Yeah. That must have been really weird, Jess."

Jess glanced at her and cleared his throat. "I need the bathroom." With that, he got up and walked out as fast as he could without looking like he was running.

"Yeah," Rory said. "Me, too." She got up and went after him.

Patty blinked. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

Lorelai looked up from the desk to see Jess walk into the lobby, Rory hot on his heels. 

"You should have told me."

"I know."

Rory threw up her hands. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," Jess replied.

"Why did they know and I didn't?!" Rory yelled.

"I don't know that, either!" Jess cried. He sighed. "You know now."

"No thanks to you," Rory snapped. "When... when was he here? When did you see him?"

"He showed up a couple of days after Kyle's party."

Rory nodded slowly.

Lorelai blinked at them. She had no idea what in hell they were talking about.

Jess sighed again and squeezed his eyes shut. "I'd flunked out of high school... Luke was kicking me out... you and I were... I don't know... I didn't think I had anywhere else to go."

Rory stared at him. "You followed him."

Jess nodded.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Was he nice? Did...did you guys get along?"

Jess shrugged. "Sometimes... it was hard."

Rory nodded. "You should have told me."

"We were barely speaking."

"You could have just blurted it out," Rory snapped. "I was right there, on the bus with you. We sat next to each other. You couldn't just say 'hey, y'know my dad who I've never met? Well, I met him!'?"

"I can't do that, Rory," Jess spat out angrily. "I don't know how to do that!"

They stood in silence for a moment, before Jess shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I gotta get going before Luke hunts me down and shoots me." With that, he turned and left the inn.

Rory watched him.

Lorelai sighed and walked out from behind the desk and over to her daughter. "What was that all about?"

Rory sighed. "His dad."

Lorelai blinked, obviously confused again. "His dad?"

Rory nodded, keeping her eyes on the door.


	2. Hello, Dolly! 2

A/N: Thank you, Marissa, for pointing out my nasty flub... Rory did know about Jess's dad... I'm an idiot. But! That's the beauty of fanfiction. In my head? She didn't know. That little piece has been omitted from her big rant in Those Are Strings, Pinocchio. Just for this fic though. Yeah. I'm gonna go smack myself now.

A/N 2: Big thankees to Elizabeth and Elise!! You guys are awesome with your idea bouncy-ness and opinion givings. And Ali! Again, with the amazing banner. Jeez.

**Hello, Dolly!** Chapter 2

Luke watched Jess storm into the diner and headed for the apartment stairs.

He knew the walk well. That was the walk of a Jess that was running from a girl.

"You did it again, didn't you?"

Jess stopped and poked his head out from behind the curtain. "What?"

"You did it again," Luke repeated. "You screwed up, and you ran away."

Jess glared.

Luke rolled his eyes, grabbed Jess by the shoulder, and dragged him back out of the diner. "Go find her."

Jess rolled his eyes. "Mind your own business."

"Jess, how many times do you intend to lose this girl?" Luke asked.

He didn't reply.

"What happened?"

"Just... I can't do this," Jess shook his head. "I can't be this open person who just spills their guts out at the drop of the hat! I don't know how she expects me to fix a mistake I made a year ago!"

Luke scratched the back of his neck. "Well... you're getting better at the whole spilling your guts thing, that's for sure. Why don't you just go find her?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"You're sorry."

"I said that!" Jess cried. "It doesn't seem to be good enough!"

They stood in awkward silence.

Luke sighed heavily. "Go get to work, okay?"

Jess sighed and nodded, walking back into the diner.

Luke shook his head and followed him in.

* * *

"Oh, honey..."

"I wish I wasn't so upset," Rory said, sitting down on the bed in her room at the Dragonfly. "It was a year ago."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Lorelai sympathized.

Rory sighed and laid back on the bed. "I love him... I just... wish things could have been different."

"You should tell him that," Lorelai nodded.

"I thought things would be different this time," Rory muttered.

"They are," Lorelai told her. "You just have to give them a chance."

Rory stared at her mother oddly. "Says the woman who usually hates Jess's guts."

Lorelai groaned and flopped back from her spot on the floor. "I saw you last night," she said. "You were so happy to have him back. And that's all I want for you, is to be happy. And if having Jess back makes you happy, then... I have to deal with that."

"I am happy to have him back," Rory said, sitting up. "I am, I just..." She sighed again and laid back.

Lorelai sighed and picked up her daughter's cell phone, holding out to her. "Call him."

"No."

"Rory, just-"

And then the phone rang.

Both Gilmores sat up, and Rory snatched the phone, gazing at the number on the caller ID. "It's him."

"Well, pick it up! Talk to him."

Rory frowned.

* * *

Jess sat on a box in the diner's storeroom, waiting for someone to pick up the phone.

"Come on, Rory," he muttered.

"Hey!" Her voicemail message greeted. "I'm not around, so just leave me a message, and I'll get back to you."

He sighed as the beep sounded, and paused, considering his words. "Hi." Good start. "It's Jess." Also a good beginning. "Uhm... I don't... I just... God, I'm so bad at this...I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry. I don't know what else to say, and I don't know how to make something I screwed up a year ago better... other than..." He paused and shook his head. "I'm different now. I can be different, I swear. I told you that I'm staying, and I am... well... I mean, I still need to go get my stuff, but..." He sighed again. "I love you, Rory; just... don't give up on me yet. I gotta go before Luke walks in and chews me out for hiding out in the storeroom, so...just... call, okay?"

He clicked off the phone, and stared at it for a moment before getting up and walking out to the diner to wait more tables. He turned the phone off and shoved it into his pocket.

* * *

Lane watched her best friend pace her bedroom.

"So... last night... you..."

"Slept with Jess."

"Wow..." Lane mused. "Wow. That's so... wow."

"At the Inn... last night... four times."

"Wow!" Lane cried, her eyes widening. "Four times?"

"Yeah," Rory nodded, her eyes equally wide. "He doesn't tire easily."

"Obviously..." Lane nodded back. "That's so amazing... one minute you're kicking him out of your dorm room, and the next..."

Rory closed her eyes. "I can't believe I treated him that way... I mean, I couldn't have gone with him but... I shouldn't have been so mean."

Lane nodded slightly. "So... does Lorelai know?"

"Yeah, she knows... and Luke... and the rest of the town," Rory sighed. She sat down on the bed next to Lane. "And then this morning..." She shook her head. "We got into a thing, and we haven't spoken since."

"A thing?"

"About his leaving last year," Rory muttered. "I know I should let it go, but it's just so hard..."

Lane nodded. "It's understandable. He bailed on you big time."

"But he's back," Rory rationalized. "And he's back for good..."

"And... you love him?"

Rory nodded. "I do."

"And he loves you?"

"Yeah. He does."

"So..." Lane whispered. "How was it?"

Rory smiled. "A little nerve-wracking at first, but...He's just... so amazing."

"Was he nice?"

Rory nodded. "And cute. So cute. I never knew he had the ability to be cute but... cute!"

"But... you're not talking now?"

"I don't know..." Rory frowned. "He left me a message, but... I haven't listened to it yet."

"Well?" Lane asked frantically. "Go on and listen!"

Rory sighed and took out her phone. "I guess."

"Come on, he's not that big of a jerk to dump you over the phone," Lane pointed out.

The other girl nodded and turned the phone on to check messages. She held the phone to her ear and listened. A slow smile spread across her face.

"Well?" Lane squeaked. "What did he say?"

Rory's smile widened and she set the message to replay and held the phone up to Lane's ear.

Lane grinned. "Call him back!"

Rory smiled more and nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

Jess took a cigarette break and walked out the back door of the diner. He pulled out his cigarettes and his cell phone.

He had a new message.

"Please tell me this isn't my mother," he muttered absently as he turned the phone on and put it to his ear.

Thankfully, Rory's voice filled his ear. "Hey, Jess. It's me. I'm sorry, too... about earlier. I love you... It's just hard to think about what happened sometimes. And I really, really want this to work with us. Call, please. Or magically appear before me. Whichever is more convenient for you."

Jess smirked and turned off the phone. He put it, and the cigarettes away.

* * *

Rory smiled as she burst into the house and into her room. She threw open her closet door and pulled a cardboard box off of the top shelf. She set it on the floor and sat with it, digging through it.

"Rory?!"

"In my room!" she called.

Lorelai peeked in. "There aren't any filthy boys hiding anywhere in here are there?"

"Nope!"

"What are you doing?" Lorelai asked.

"Taking things out of my Jess box."

Lorelai smiled. "You guys made up?"

"He left me this message," Rory replied. "And then I left him a message. I haven't actually talked to him but I think we're good."

Lorelai smiled and sat down with her daughter, glancing into the box. "Wow, that's a lot of stuff." She blinked. "A picnic basket... your bridesmaid dress from Sookie's wedding... a really sad looking teddy bear... is that an umbrella?"

"Yup."

"Ticket stubs... your wrist cast... a history book... Ginsburg?"

Rory smiled and took the book out, flipping through it fondly. "He wrote in the margins."

Lorelai grinned. "Love letter?"

"Notes about the underlying themes of the text."

Lorelai's grin faded a little. "So... a very geeky love letter."

Rory smiled and kept going through the box, until her phone rang. She scrambled to pick it up. "Jess?"

"Hi."

Rory's smile widened. "Hi."

Lorelai chuckled and kissed Rory on the top of the head as she got up and walked out.

"I got your message," Jess said.

"Obviously," Rory nodded. "Are you good?"

"I am." He hesitated. "Are you?"

"Very much so," Rory replied. "I'm emptying my Jess box."

"Jess box?"

"Yup. All the stuff that reminds me of you gets to see the light of day again."

"Huh."

"What are you up to?" Rory asked.

"I am getting ready to go to New York."

Rory's smile faded. "Oh..."

"Luke and I are gonna go get my stuff."

"Oh!" Rory perked up a little. "Do you guys want help?"

"Nah, Luke wants to bond."

Rory snickered. "Luke wants to bond?"

"Yup."

"Wow... so... when are you gonna be back?"

"Probably by tonight," Jess told her. "I'll call you when I get in."

"Promise?"

"Swear."

"Rory?!"

"Hold on," Rory said into the phone. "Yeah?!"

"I'm going back to the Inn!" Lorelai called.

"Okay, Mom! Bye!"

"Bye!"

Rory sighed and turned her attention back to the phone. "You gotta go, too?"

"Yeah, I should go down and help in the diner before we go."

"Okay," Rory nodded. "I'll talk to you tonight?"

"You will."

"I love you."

"Me, too," Jess replied before hanging up.

She hung up as well, and set the phone down.

And then it rang again.

She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Rory?"

She frowned, and got to her feet. "Dean..."

"Rory, I really need to talk to you."

She sighed. "I don't think that's such a good idea..."

"Please," he begged. "Please?"

"Fine," she replied hesitantly. "What is it?"

"Not now," Dean told her. "Meet at Miss Patty's in twenty minutes."

"No."

"Rory, please," Dean pleaded. "Just do this one thing for me."

She sighed again, uneasily. "Fine. But not for very long."

"Fine," Dean replied. "Fine."

With that, she hung up and sighed.

"Great..."


	3. Hello, Dolly! 3

MASSIVE GIANT WARNING!!!! I don't like Dean. At all. And this chapter is heavy evidence of that fact. If you like Dean, look away. Turn back now. Do not enter. Go home! Read some Narco-fluff, because this here is some good old fashion ANTI-DEAN!

**Hello, Dolly Chapter 3 **

Luke sauntered into the Dragonfly and smiled upon seeing Lorelai looking over some documents at the front desk. He walked up to her and smiled. "Hey."

"AH!" Lorelai flung the papers up in surprise and jumped back. "Hi."

"Are you alright?" Luke asked, kneeling down to pick up a couple of sheets of paper.

"Fine! I'm fine," Lorelai replied, picking the ones on her side up. "What's up? I thought you were at work."

"I was," Luke replied, standing up straight at the same time as Lorelai. "I'm taking Jess to New York to pack up his stuff."

"He can't do it himself?"

Luke shrugged. "He wants to bond."

Lorelai blinked. "Jess wants to bond?"

Luke nodded.

"Wow. He really has changed."

Luke nodded. "So I just wanted to let you know... in case you came looking for me or something..."

Lorelai grinned widely. "Thanks for the heads up."

She smiled at him, and leaned over to kiss him.

"Not across my desk, please!" a very annoyed, French accent-tinged voice snapped.

Lorelai pulled away from Luke and pouted. "Stick in the mud."

Rory stood awkwardly in the darkened dance studio. "Okay," she said. "I'm here.... What do you want, Dean?"

Dean walked a little closer to her. His nose was slightly crooked, and, like Jess, he was a little bruised. "I wanted to apologize for last night," he told her. "Things shouldn't have gotten out of hand like that."

Rory nodded and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "They did."

He took a couple of more steps closer, and brushed his hand down her arm lightly. "I want to make it up to you."

"I think I should go now," Rory said.

He didn't seem to be listening. He leaned down for a kiss, and she pushed him away.

"No, Dean."

He grabbed her arm. "Rory-"

"Let go."

He pulled her closer. "Rory, I-"

"Get off, Dean!" She struggled to get free of his hands, but he kept his hold, grabbing at the thin jacket she was wearing. "Dean, stop!!"

"Dean, stop! No!"

Luke stopped at the sound of Rory's voice coming from inside the dance studio as he walked by. His jaw set, and he rushed over to the studio's door, pushing it open, and storming in to find Dean towering over Rory, gripping her by the jacket as she struggled to get away from him.

She looked terrified.

Luke rushed over, and flung his arms underneath Dean's shoulders to grab him into a full nelson and drag him off of Rory, who jerked back and hit the wall. She shook uncontrollably as she watched Luke change position and wrestled Dean to the ground and wrapped an arm around his neck for a headlock.

"You keep your god-damn hands off of her," Luke growled. "No means no, asshole."

Rory watched them a moment more before rushing out of Miss Patty's.

Jess glanced at his watch and sighed. It was getting late. They'd have to leave soon, if they were going to be back by evening. Luke had said he'd wanted to be back by the dinner rush, and Jess himself had promised Rory he'd be back.

He stood outside the diner. "Come on, Luke, you're not that old. Walk faster."

But it wasn't Luke who went whizzing past the diner.

Jess blinked. "Rory?"

She didn't reply, merely kept walking.

He sped after her. "Rory?"

"I have to go home."

"Rory, wait," Jess replied. "What's-"

"I have to go."

"Did I do something?"

She stopped walking and turned to him. She opened her mouth to say something, but wound up bursting into tears.

He watched her a moment before taking a careful step toward her. "Rory..."

"He asked me to meet him, so I did," she blurted out. "I'm so stupid! Why would I go to see him after what happened last night?"

Jess had no idea what she was talking. "What? I-"

"I went and saw Dean!" Rory cried. "He asked me to meet him at Miss Patty's, so I did, and... and he... If Luke hadn't shown up..."

Jess glared off at nothing, and turned away from her. "I gotta take care of-"

"No!" she grabbed his arm. "Jess..."

He stopped and looked back at her. What little good boyfriend instincts he had were telling him to stay.

He followed them for once and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "It's okay."

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his neck.

Luke dusted off his jeans as he watched Dean squirm a little on the floor of the dance studio.

"You're not a kid anymore, Dean," Luke told him. "If you lay a finger on her ever again, I'll make what I just did seem like a walk the park." With that, he left, closing the door behind him.

Lorelai looked up from the stack of papers on the front desk and jumped back. "Ohmygod!"

Emily raised an eyebrow from her seat in the lobby. "That's a nice way to greet your mother."

"You just... startled me," Lorelai explained. "I didn't expect you to be here."

"We're supposed to have lunch at one, yes?" Emily asked.

"We were, but you left."

"I don't see how that has anything to do with our plans for lunch," Emily protested. "They were never canceled."

"But... you left... I-... I give up," Lorelai sighed. "I'll call Rory."

Emily nodded.

"You need anything?"

Rory shook her head and wrapped an arm around Jess. They were curled up on his bed in Luke's apartment. She closed her eyes and buried her head into his chest. "This is good."

Jess nodded. "You gonna be okay?"

"I think so," she muttered.

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm gonna have to go when Luke gets back."

She tightened her grip on him. "I know."

"I'll be back."

Rory nodded. "I know."

At that moment her phone went off.

She stared at it.

"You should get that," Jess muttered.

She shook her head. "What if it's him?"

He rubbed her back gently. "Just check the number. If it's his, or one you don't recognize, don't pick it up."

She nodded, and squinted at the number. "It's the Dragonfly," she said, sitting up. She turned on the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sweets!"

"Hi, Mom," Rory replied, lying back against Jess.

"You okay?" Lorelai asked, slightly concerned. "You don't sound so hot."

"I'm okay. Sleepy. Jess and I have been napping," she lied.

Jess tilted his head curiously at her. She was lying; to her mother.

"Where are you?" Lorelai asked.

"Luke's," Rory replied. "What's going on?"

"You're grandmother's here for our lunch date," Lorelai explained.

"But... she left," Rory replied.

"Don't even get me started. Can you be here?" Lorelai asked.

"Uh... yeah," Rory said. "I can have Jess and Luke drop me off on their way out of town. I'll be there soon." She gave Jess a question look of 'is that okay?' and he needed.

"What's wrong?" Lorelai snickered. "Jess completely wear out your legs?"

"Mom..."

"See you soon, Babe," Lorelai said.

Rory nodded and hung up. "Okay... so..."

"You gonna be okay?" Jess asked. "You don't usually lie to Lorelai..."

"I'm fine, I just... with everything that happened last night... she shouldn't have to worry about me... and I'm fine."

"Then why won't you walk to the Dragonfly?" Jess asked.

She shook her head and got up. "Come on. We should go downstairs and wait for Luke."

Jess sighed and followed.


	4. Hello, Dolly! 4

Hello, Dolly! #4

"You gonna be okay?"

Rory nodded as she got out of Luke's truck with Jess behind her. "I'll be okay."

"Maybe you should come with us," Luke suggested.

She shook her head. "I can't. I have to meet my mom and grandma for lunch."

Luke sighed. "If you see Dean coming toward you, scream."

"I'm just gonna… stay at the inn with my mom," Rory told them.

Jess nodded and kissed her gently. "We'll be back soon."

She nodded and watched him get back into the truck. They drove off, and she sighed before making her way cautiously to the Dragonfly.

oooooooooo

"Rory, my offer still stands."

"What offer, grandma?" Rory asked, snapping back to reality after zoning out during one of Lorelai and Emily's bickering sessions.

"To take you around Europe properly," Emily replied.

"Oh…" Rory stammered. "Actually, Grandma… I was really hoping to spend the summer at home…"

"Oh," Emily snapped slightly. "Well…"

"I'm really sorry," Rory told her. "This year has been so hectic and I want to spend time with Mom and Lane and Jess, and I-"

"Jess?" Emily asked in surprise. "You want to spend time with Jess?"

Lorelai sat back. "Here we go," she muttered.

"I had no idea you were back together," Emily said.

"We are," Rory stated. "It's very recent-"

"How recent?"

Rory sighed. "Last night."

"Why on earth would you want to be with him again?" Emily asked. "He left you."

"He's changed, grandma," Rory said. "I love him."

"He treated you so badly."

Rory shoved up to her feet, looking frantic. "At least he's nice to me. At least he's careful with me when I'm with him! He loves me! He'd never push or grab or-…" She trailed off, blushing furiously. "Excuse me," she muttered as she rushed off.

"What was that all about?" Emily asked, shocked.

Lorelai shook her head, getting to her feet. "I'm gonna go find out."

ooooooo

Jess sighed as he, again, switched the radio station in the truck.

"Would you cut that out?" Luke snapped. "It's annoying."

"Y'know what's annoying?" Jess asked. "Your bad taste."

"I have good taste!"

"Jethro Tull?"

"Shut up."

Jess's phone rang. "As you wish." He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hi."

"Rory?" he asked worried. "What's wrong?"

"I just blew up at my grandmother."

"What?"

Rory's voice cracked slightly. "She doesn't really like us together and I blew up."

"Rory…"

"I need to calm down."

"Yeah," Jess nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he told her. "Just… get a drink of water, and try and relax… and talk to your mother."

"Okay."

"Okay," he nodded.

"I love you," she told him.

"Love you, too," he said quietly. He sighed turned the phone off.

Luke gave a concerned look. "She okay?"

Jess shrugged. "She went off on Emily."

"Yeah?"

Jess nodded.

"Knew you'd have a bad influence on her," Luke mused with a chuckle.

"Just drive."

ooooooo

"Rory?"

She looked up from the chair in her mother's office. "Hi."

"Hi," Lorelai replied warily. "What was that?"

Rory sighed and looked at the desk.

"Rory…"

She put her face in her hands and started crying.

Lorelai rushed around the desk to her and knelt down. "Oh, honey… what happened?" She frowned. "Was it Jess? No, wait you were defending Jess…" Her eyes widened. "What did Dean do?"

Rory shook her head.

"Rory, you have to tell me," Lorelai said seriously. "If he-"

"He t-tried to… I don't know," Rory's voice wavered. "He tried to kiss me, and he g-grabbed me…I just… Luke pulled him off of me before…"

Lorelai smoothed out Rory's hair a little. "Oh, Babe… why didn't you tell me?"

She shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I didn't want to worry you."

Lorelai sighed. "You're my kid, Rory. It's your job to worry me."

Rory looked down again.

"Okay," Lorelai said soothingly. "Why don't you lie down on the couch over there? I'll ask Sookie to make you some soup, and you relax. Grab a book or something."

Rory nodded and let her mother help her out of the chair and lead her over to the couch.

"Do you have The Fountainhead?" Rory asked.

"The book?" Lorelai replied, a little confused.

Rory nodded.

"Uhh…no, not here," Lorelai said. "Why don't you try and sleep a little. I gotta go talk to your grandma."

Rory nodded again and leaned against the couch.

Lorelai sighed and shook her head before walking out.

ooooo

Emily got up as Lorelai came toward her. "Is she alright?"

Lorelai crossed her arms tightly. "Dean tried to force himself on her this morning."

"What!"

The younger Gilmore nodded. "I can't believe it. God, what happened to the nice kid I used to know?"

"I'm calling the police," Emily said, pulling out her cell phone.

"There's nothing they can do now," Lorelai said. "If he tries it again, you're gonna need to call the police to haul me off of him, because I'll kill him."

Emily gave her a warning look. "This is a serious matter, Lorelai, your daughter could have been…"

"I know," Lorelai nodded slowly. "She's sleeping in my office right now. God, she's so shaken up." She sighed and looked to her mother. "Do you think…that maybe you could stay for tonight? I think Rory would really like that."

"Of course I'll stay," Emily replied.

Lorelai nodded. "Good…Let's go set you up with a room."


	5. Hello, Dolly! 5

**Hello, Dolly!**_ Part 5_

Rory woke up that evening on the couch in her mother's office, and blinked, looking around the dim room. She felt cold, and still tired. She took the soft, decorative throw blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself.

The events of the past day swam through her head and she lay back down, closing her eyes. What had happened? Why had Dean treated her like that? Part of her wanted to seek him out…get answers. The other, however, was screaming at her to never go near him again, and it was winning. Even thinking about what could have happened to her made her nauseous.

She never thought something like that could happen to her, and it almost had.

The door slowly opened and light from the Dragonfly's lobby flooded the room. Rory squinted and sat up.

"Hey," Luke's silhouette said quietly. "I thought you might be hungry." He held up a plate of food.

She smiled a little and nodded.

He grinned and walked forward, sitting on the couch with her. "How ya feeling?"

She nodded and carefully took the plate of food from him. "A little better."

"Good," he said.

She poked at her food with her fork, and then looked at him. "I really wanna thank you for what you did for me today."

"Its okay, Rory," Luke nodded.

"No," she snapped, putting her food on the coffee table. "If you hadn't shown up when you did…"

"Hey," he said adamantly. "I would never let anything happen to you."

She stared at him for a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He patted her back awkwardly. She pulled away a moment later.

"Where's Jess?" Rory asked.

Luke sighed and smirked. "Having a very awkward dinner with your mother and your grandmother."

Rory glared suspiciously. "No."

Luke nodded. "Yep."

"Are they killing him?" she asked worriedly. "Is he making horrible comments? Is there blood?"

"Not that I know of," Luke smirked. "I wouldn't worry too much."

"I yelled at my grandmother," Rory sighed.

Luke patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Your mom filled her in on what's going on."

"She did?" Rory asked, still sounding worried. "About everything?"

"The basics," Luke nodded. "I think she's just worried about you more than anything else."

Rory nodded back. "It's my fault."

"No way," Luke snapped. "You are not blaming this on yourself."

"I didn't have to meet him," she argued. "I could have said no."

"You didn't go there expecting him to try what he tried," Luke told her. "You're not a mind-reader. I'm sure if you were, you probably woulda stayed home."

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a long moment.

"You gonna come out soon?" Luke asked.

Rory shrugged. "I don't know."

"You want me to go get Jess?"

Rory sighed. "Not yet."

Luke nodded. "Okay. Well, I'm gonna go, and they're gonna ask about you. What do you want me to tell them?"

She smiled just a little. "Tired, and eating."

"You got it," Luke smirked. He patted her shoulder again and got up, glancing back at her before leaving the room.

She watched the door for a moment, before picking up her fork again and digging in. She was starving.

oooooo

Jess sat at the round table in the Dragonfly's dining room awkwardly. Next to him sat Lorelai Gilmore, and next to her sat Emily Gilmore.

He wasn't letting it show, but this was possibly one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of his life.

"So, Jess," Emily said politely. "You're moving back to Stars Hollow."

He nodded slowly and swallowed his food. "I am," he replied shortly.

"To be with Rory," Emily stated.

He didn't nod at this. "To spend time with my uncle and to be with Rory."

"I had no idea you and Luke were close," Emily replied coldly.

Jess didn't say anything.

Lorelai sighed. She looked from Jess to Emily, and then back to Emily, and then to Jess again. "Oh, my god!" she yelled to no one in particular.

"What?" Emily asked. "Why are you yelling?"

"Because you two are stubborn…asses!"

"Excuse me?" Emily snapped.

Jess didn't have anything to say to this. He was well aware of his stubborn ass status.

"You two can't get along for like…three seconds!" Lorelai cried. "Mom, you're sitting here interrogating him, and judging him, and you!" she pointed at Jess. "You are not even trying!"

"Nope," Jess admitted.

"Your girlfriend," she pointed at Jess again, and then pointed to her mother. "And your granddaughter is in the other room. She has just been through something crazy, and scary and traumatic, and you two can't even be bothered to try and get along!"

"I didn't do anything," Jess replied evenly. "She's asking me questions, I'm answering them."

"Okay, that's it," Lorelai growled, obviously frustrated. "Both of you, get up."

"What are you doing?" Emily asked, flustered.

"Oh, no," Jess muttered, getting to his feet.

Emily sighed and got to hers as well.

Lorelai smiled. "Now, let's start over."

"This is ridiculous," Emily argued.

"She's ridiculous," Jess replied.

"At least you agree on something," Lorelai snapped. She sighed. "Okay. Jess, come over here."

He rolled his eyes and walked over to stand on Lorelai's other side.

Lorelai smiled again and cleared her throat. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Luke's nephew and Rory's boyfriend, Jess Mariano. He's from New York, and he's moving back to Stars Hollow for the summer, so he can be closer to Rory and hang out with Luke."

Neither said a word.

Lorelai was undeterred. "Jess, this is my mother, and Rory's grandmother, Emily Gilmore. She lives in Hartford just south of here, and we go there every Friday for dinner. They've been helping Rory with her college tuition."

Still, they stayed silent.

"Shake hands or I'll hurt both of you," Lorelai told them through gritted teeth.

"Nice to meet you," Jess muttered, shaking her hand.

"Charmed," Emily replied sarcastically.

At that moment, Luke walked back in. "So Rory's still pretty tired, but she's eating so that's-" He stopped as he got a look at Emily and Jess shaking hands loosely. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm reintroducing Jess and Emily," Lorelai smiled. "They're pals now!"

Emily took her hand book and sighed; seemingly making sure the two rings she had been wearing were still on her fingers. "May I sit back down now?"

Jess paid no attention. "She want any visitors?" he asked his uncle.

"Nah, I think she wants to be alone for now," Luke replied. "She'll come out when she's ready."

Jess nodded and sat down in his chair, staring at his food.

Emily watched him as she slowly sat back down.

Sookie rushed out at the moment. "Hey, guys, how is everything?"

"Wonderful, Sookie, as always," Emily smiled politely.

"Jess, would you like more soda?" Sookie asked.

"Can I have a beer?" Jess asked, looking up at her.

"A few more months," Luke snapped. "It's not that long a wait."

"Oh, come on," Jess snapped. "Who cares if I'm twenty-one? It's not like I haven't been drinking since I was fourteen."

Emily gave him a shocked look.

"It was Christmas!" Jess defended. "Liz gave me a six-pack!"

"I don't see, Liz, do you?" Luke snapped.

"Like that's anything new," Jess muttered.

"A few more months," Luke repeated.

"Fine," Jess sighed. "One more month."

"How much do you drink, Jess?" Emily asked, trying her best to sound casual.

"I don't know, I think I'm drunk right now," Jess retorted.

At that moment, the door to the Firefly burst open, and Richard came storming in, looking ready to kill someone. "Where is he?" he cried. "Where is he, I'll ring his neck!"

Lorelai got up hurriedly and rushed out to the front hall. "He's not here, Dad. I don't know where he is."

Richard's expression turned from angry to worried. "Lorelai, is Rory alright? Where is she?"

"She's in my office," Lorelai replied calmly. "She's eating her dinner, and having some quiet time. Mom and Jess and Luke and I are in the dining room. Why don't you join us?"

"Who on earth is Jess?"

Lorelai sighed. "He's Luke's nephew, and…uhm…Rory's boyfriend."

Richard squinted. "I didn't know Rory had a new-…wait…is this the boy that broke her wrist?"

"Dad…"

"And then left her without saying good-bye?"

"Dad…"

"I'll kill him, too."

"No, you can't do that, Rory loves him," Lorelai blurted out. "And…he's done a lot of growing up since then…I think." She shook her head. "Let's go meet him before you go passing judgment."

Richard sighed and followed Lorelai into the dining room, where Jess was still staring into his plate. He looked up and his eyes widened ever-so-slightly.

"Hello," Richard said awkwardly. "You must be Jess."

Jess nodded slowly.

"Jess, this is my dad, Richard Gilmore," Lorelai introduced. She poked him in the arm and he got to his feet.

"Hi," Jess said quietly.

"So," Richard snapped, seeming to get straight to business. "Where were you when that horrible boy was attacking my granddaughter?"

Luke was about to open his mouth, but Jess beat him to it.

"I was working in the diner," Jess replied. "I was going to call her this tonight after Luke and I got back from my place in New York."

"And what would you be doing there?" Richard asked. He was obviously in full interrogation mode.

"Getting my stuff," Jess replied stiffly. "I'm moving back here."

"To be with Rory."

"And to spend time with my family," Jess added. "Yeah."

"And did you leave before you found out what happened?"

"Luke beat the crap out of Dean," Lorelai blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Richard asked, turning to his daughter.

"Luke…beat him up. He found Dean trying to force himself onto Rory, and…got mad."

"And where were you then?" Richard asked, turning back to Jess.

"Rory ran by the diner when I was waiting for Luke to get back," Jess muttered. "I stayed with her until we left."

"I see," Richard replied softly. "You care about my granddaughter?"

Jess nodded, looking down.

Richard seemed to calm down a little and nodded back. He took a seat at the table. "Jess?"

He looked up at Richard with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you read at all?"

Jess rolled his eyes and pulled a shabby paperback out of his back pocket.

Richard glanced at the title. "Hemingway?"

"Yup."

"Rory hates Hemingway."

"I know."

"You like him?"

"Wouldn't be reading it if I didn't."

"I like him, too."

"Huh."

"Oh, my god, I think they're bonding," Lorelai whispered to Luke.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go see how Rory is doing."

"No," Lorelai snapped.

"What?"

"Luke said she wanted to be alone," Lorelai said. "We need to give her time."

"Time's up," said a voice from the doorway.

The group looked up to see Rory standing in the doorway. She held her fork and knife, and an empty plate.

"I'm still hungry," she said sheepishly.

Both Emily and Richard got to their feet to meet their granddaughter, but Lorelai pulled them both gently down.

"Take a seat, Honey," Lorelai smiled.

Rory nodded and pulled up a chair next to Jess, sticking her fork into his mashed potatoes and taking a bite. She nodded. "Sookie does it again."

"How are you feeling?" Richard asked.

"Hungry," Rory replied.

He gave her a bewildered look.

"I'm okay," she told them. "I am…I mean…shaken, but…I'm fine…really."

"They're not buying it," Jess stage whispered.

Rory looked down. "I don't wanna talk about it right now," she told them. "I just want to have a nice dinner."

Emily nodded. "Of course…"

Lorelai watched Rory eat, and she gave him a glance in return, before turning back to Jess's plate.


End file.
